J. Peyton Stewart

In the annals of Petersburg's history, the story of Detective J. Peyton Stewart's end is a somber chapter. A 57-year-old veteran of the Petersburg Police Department with two decades of service, his life was cut short on a Tuesday, the 24th of May, 1927. On that day, Detective Stewart was on duty in the New Market district of the city, where he observed two brothers loitering near Halifax Street.

As a law enforcement officer, he approached the individuals to investigate their suspicious pr ...